Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 54, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 March 1912 — Pence’s Cowboys Have Fight With Mexican Bandits. [ARTICLE]

Pence’s Cowboys Have Fight With Mexican Bandits.

The Chicago Record-Herald gave an interesting account a few days ago of the experience that ranchmen on the great Nelson Morris ranch on the Mexican border had a days since Mexican bandits. The experience of the ranchmen will be interesting in Jasper county because the foreman is Winfield N. Penee, formerly manager of the Nelson Morris ranch in this county. The Record-Herald publishes his picture as the central figure in a group of ranchmen who succeeded after several hours fighting in driving off the Mexican bandits. The Morris ranch consists of more than 1,300.000 acres of land. It is situated in Mexico, the headquarters just outside the garrisoned town of Ojinaga in the state of Chihauhau, pronounced Che-wau-wau. It extends along the Rio Grande river 30 miles and southward more than 80 miles. At present there are 30,000 head of cattle and 15,000 head of horses on the-ranch. Only a few white men are employed on-the ranch and Mr. Pence is the manager. All the white men are crack shots and they are equipped with the very best arms and are so fortified in an adobe building at the headquarters that they can take care of themselves against any ordinary band of Mexicans. The dispatch from Marfa, Texas, formed the substance for the RecordHerald article. It states that the ranchmen were able to drive the bandits away and that twenty armed cowboys from Marfa were ready to go to the headquarters and aid the ranchmen if necessary. It Is claimed that a messenger from the bandits demanded that the ranchmen all withdraw to the American side of the border but that they stoutly refused And" informed the bandits who had expected to loot the ranch that they would not feaVe but would hold their ground and leave a big string of dead Mexicans if they made attempt to enforce their withdrawar order. Americans near the border have organized to rush to the aid of the ranchmen If their condition becomes serious. Edward Morris, of Chicago, in an interview, stated that he had wired to Mr. Pence but had received no reply, which led him to believe that the ranch was still beseiged by the bandits. Winfield N. Pence was always a man of great interest In Jasper county and he numbers his friends by the score here. An account of his experiences would be interesting and Republican readers would be pleased to hear from him. He is a brother-in-law of Eli Arnold, of Barkley township.